As a secondary science teacher, I believe that the most important part of teaching students is to keep them engaged and be sure they are always learning, even if they are not aware of it at the time. Although I am familiar with and respect the written literature on educational psychology, I do not like to get caught up in technical terms regarding a teaching philosophy. I am most inspired by students that I have had in the past, both in my own classroom at the church at which I teach and in past practicums. Nothing is more rewarding than when I see the look on a student’s face when they truly understand a concept. Thus, my teaching philosophy is simply that students should be having fun while learning science, and they also should feel like they are taking away something rewarding from the class. This is best when students are constantly engaged with fun, interesting activities and not burdened with long, tedious lecturing and test-taking. I hope to create a classroom environment that is experiment-based, with a focus on hands-on learning of science that has relevant, contemporary application to the real world. Having an inquiry-based curriculum encourages students to ask their own questions and seek their own answers. I want my students to be able to take responsibility for their own academic success. My goal as a teacher is not to stand at the front of the room and present content material. Rather, my goal is to assist students in discovering the world of science and understanding the immense impact they have on the world around them. I also intend to create a class structure that requires student involvement from the beginning to the end of the period. By keeping students busy, behavior issues can be minimized and no one will be sitting and staring at the clock. By having activities prepared that keep students busy, they will also be maximizing their learning in my class. I never cared for classes where I felt like my time was being wasted on non-academic activities, and I will never do this to my students. For these reason, I believe that this is the most effective way to teach my content and to help students learn to the best of their ability and ultimately become intelligent contributing members of society that can make a difference in their communities and the world.
As a secondary science teacher, I believe that the most important part of teaching students is to keep them engaged and be sure they are always learning, even if they are not aware of it at the time. Although I am familiar with and respect the written literature on educational psychology, I do not like to get caught up in technical terms regarding a teaching philosophy. I am most inspired by students that I have had in the past, both in my own classroom at the church at which I teach and in past practicums. Nothing is more rewarding than when I see the look on a student’s face when they truly understand a concept. Thus, my teaching philosophy is simply that students should be having fun while learning science, and they also should feel like they are taking away something rewarding from the class. This is best when students are constantly engaged with fun, interesting activities and not burdened with long, tedious lecturing and test-taking. I hope to create a classroom environment that is experiment-based, with a focus on hands-on learning of science that has relevant, contemporary application to the real world. Having an inquiry-based curriculum encourages students to ask their own questions and seek their own answers. I want my students to be able to take responsibility for their own academic success. My goal as a teacher is not to stand at the front of the room and present content material. Rather, my goal is to assist students in discovering the world of science and understanding the immense impact they have on the world around them. I also intend to create a class structure that requires student involvement from the beginning to the end of the period. By keeping students busy, behavior issues can be minimized and no one will be sitting and staring at the clock. By having activities prepared that keep students busy, they will also be maximizing their learning in my class. I never cared for classes where I felt like my time was being wasted on non-academic activities, and I will never do this to my students. For these reason, I believe that this is the most effective way to teach my content and to help students learn to the best of their ability and ultimately become intelligent contributing members of society that can make a difference in their communities and the world.